1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a firmware board having an incorporated function program stored in a non-volatile memory. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for upgrading the function program of the firmware board.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typically, a firmware board is provided with an erasable and programmable read only memory (EPROM), an electrical erasable and programmable read only memory (EEPROM), and other non-volatile memory to store pre-programmed boost-up data (i.e. firmware) relevant to establish information or configuration therein. The EPROM, which stores the program, is manufactured using an EPROM writer, then the manufactured EPROM is superimposed on the nonvolatile memory of the firmware board to drive the firmware board. As occasion demands, the program for driving the firmware board is upgraded.
However, the prior art system of upgrading the program for driving the firmware board has drawbacks. The first drawback is that it requires additional hardware, i.e., the EPROM writer itself. The second drawback is that it is inefficient and inconvenient as the EPROM already packaged on the firmware board must be physically removed from the backbone while the power of the firmware board is turned off to replace the old EPROM with a newly manufactured EPROM.